Minimally invasive surgical procedures have proven to be of significant benefit to patients. Typically, in a minimally invasive procedure, a surgical site is accessed using a small incision through a patient's skin and underlying fascia. A conventional trocar cannula may be inserted through the incision to provide a passageway for instruments, scopes, etc. The surgeon may view the operative site remotely or by direct visualization. Many instruments have been developed for minimally invasive surgical procedures including endoscopic and arthroscopic instruments. Arthroscopic instruments that are known and used include, for example, conventional arthroscopic scissors, arthroscopic fastener appliers, and arthroscopic suture passers.
Of particular importance in this art are instruments and methods for applying surgical sutures in an arthroscopic procedure. In an open procedure, the surgeon typically holds a surgical needle in a needle grasper and pushes and pulls the surgical needle through tissue around a tissue site and releases and re-grasps the needle each time the needle is exits the tissue that is required to be approximated. This type of open suturing technique is difficult to perform successfully in an arthroscopic procedure because of the limited working space. Specially designed arthroscopic suture devices have been developed to remotely pass sutures through tissue in arthroscopic procedures.
Although the arthroscopic suture passers of the prior art are adequate for their intended purpose, there is a constant need in this art for new instruments having advantageous characteristics and features that are easy to use in an arthroscopic surgical procedure.